All posts tagged Coffee

Granted, I’m probably not in the most gastronomically objective of moods, given that at 1am today I was rounding off the evening (a quiet night in with a friend, don’t you know?) with a large tumbler of elderflower liqueur. It was one of those ideas that seemed great at the time, but now in the cold light of day, with pounding head and churning tum, was clearly a huge mistake. Not remotely big or clever…especially on a school night.

But even without a hangover, bacon flavoured coffee just seems wrong. I’m all for pushing the boundaries of flavour combinations in pursuit of the next taste sensation (well, maybe not today), but there is a line. And that has crossed it. Created by gourmet coffee company Boca Java, they claim their Maple Bacon Morning blend is ‘reminiscent of a hearty Saturday morning breakfast’. Even for a brand whose tagline is ‘redefining the perfect cup’ this has surely got to be a massive stretch?

I mean, I’m all for the nuances bestowed by different coffee blends – spicy, fruity, full-bodied, rich, smooth etc, but to my mind coffee should taste like coffee…and definitely not like bacon.

Now some flavour combinations, that seem plain weird at first, just work. Peanut butter and jelly (sorry, jam), chilli and chocolate are a couple that spring to mind. Discovering new taste sensations is all in a day’s work for the scientists at Foodpairing. They are slaving away to discover new ways to pair old ingredients. Using a scientific flavour analysis, they pair together foods that share major flavour components, in ways that we couldn’t even dream of.

According to their findings, surprising yet winning combinations include: Heinz Tomato Ketchup and banana, dark chocolate and parmesan and French cheese and almond cookies. What say you Rumblechatters? Do any of those tickle your fancy, or even your tastebuds?

I’m not keen on the first pairing, but on a better day I could see the appeal of the latter two. For now though, I just need a strong coffee-flavoured coffee…and maybe a little lie down.

I may be a bit behind the times here (it wouldn’t be the first time), but I’ve just discovered the Suspended Coffee Campaign. Born of an Italian tradition, the ‘caffe sospreso’ is a cup of coffee paid for in advance as an anonymous act of charity. The tradition began a century ago, in the working class cafes of Naples, where someone who had experienced good luck would order a sospeso, paying the price of two coffees but consuming only one. The remaining coffee would remain suspended for a poor person to claim later.

This heart-warming practice has been championed successfully on social media, igniting social consciences globally and subsequently being adopted by communities around the world. Suspended coffees represent an affirmation of the old English adage ‘Charity begins at home’ – supporting the ‘down on their luck’ people within your local community.

So far, about 150 British cafes have signed up to what has become a formal scheme, with coffee giant Starbucks recently signing up for the initiative. Ian Cranna, vice-president of marketing at Starbucks UK told Marketing Magazine the campaign “will provide warmth and comfort for those looking for food or a hot cup of coffee.”

The only problem I can foresee is that of the target audience (vulnerable people) feeling ashamed to pop in and ask for the off-chance of charity. Some cafes across the UK have pre-empted this barrier, adopting the initiative in different forms, with some donating cash equivalents to local homeless shelters or providing tokens to be discreetly donated to those in need.

On a (frivolously) political note, if this is an example of what the EU brings us, who can knock it?

This article from the Telegraph demonstrates ways in which we can change our diet to keep ourselves youthful, both inside and out.
This includes replacing your morning caffeine hit with ginger tea, rye bread instead of wheat, almond milk instead of diary, fish instead of red meat, no starch after 5pm and a lot less alcohol.
How many of you RumbleChatters out there have been on a detox this January, and have you enjoyed the experience? Was it easy to cut out all those naughty vices like sugar, alcohol, starchy carbs and bad fats? How do you feel now we are approaching the end of the month? A lot lighter, brighter, and full of energy?
Let us know what you did during your detox by tweeting @RumbleChat with #detox!

David Meerman Scott has written an interesting piece on why brands should create original content rather than taking a strategy of “content curation”. Content Curation is where you point to good content and add value by removing the noise ever present on the web.

David’s overall point is valid, but it is important to implement a strategy that is right for your business.

For the food food businesses we work with, I always recommend a strategy including content curation. Creating really good original content is a great way to deliver value but it is also often very expensive. It is also not always the right thing to do for your business.

As a restaurant, you’re primary job is to deliver an exceptional experience, with exceptional food every time. As a food producer, your job is to deliver an exceptional product that excites your customers. If you run a digital food business, then your primary job is to deliver exceptional original content.

Delivering an exceptional website and letting your service slip – Simply not acceptable.

However, something I always try to stress, is that if you’re delivering an exceptional food experience you will be doing things along the way that can be turned into digital stories that people will love.

We work with a coffeeshop, who are so particular in the quality of their coffee, they make modifications to the grinder! That is a beautiful example of a story that should be told digitally, and can e very cheaply!

So then next time you’re working on the project, think about whether it would make good content, and take lots of pictures if it will!

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RumbleChat is a team of experienced marketing and PR professionals, who share a passion for delicious things. We have joined forces to help food and lifestyle companies reap the rewards of digital success.